The present invention relates to strengthened cellular concrete compositions, and the method of making such compositions. More particularly the present invention relates to light-weight cellular concrete, the strength of which is improved by combined use of polycarboxylic acids and organosilicon compounds, and the method, in which cellular concrete is produced by mixing a cement mortar or paste with a bubbled frother solution containing polycarboxylic acids and organosilicon compounds.
The light weight, heat insulation, fire resistance, and sound insulation of cellular concrete have allowed it to find a definite niche in the field of building material.
The process for producing cellular concrete is generally divided into two: (1) to make a cement mortar to foam in a form after mixing all the ingredients and (2) to mix a cement paste with a bubbled frother solution, followed by casting this cellular concrete paste into a form. The latter method is widely used since it can make it easy to manufacture the desired form of cellular concrete. However, this procedure has a difficulty in controlling the flow of aerated concrete slurry or to cause defoaming during the mixing.
For this reason, the use of surface active agents or decomposition products of keratin-type proteins as frother have been proposed. And also, Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-5673 provides processes in which cellular concrete is produced by addition of anion surface active agents during or just after mixing a cement mortar with a bubbled, high-viscous frother. These methods, however, are also unsatisfactory since they do not give cellular concrete manufactures having a sufficient mechanical strength.